Volkswagen plans to close at least three plants—the first domestic closures in the company’s 87-year history|Werner Kunz|CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Almost 100,000 workers at nine factories across Germany went on two-hour warning strikes on Monday after Volkswagen announced plans to close plants and cut wages.

VW plans to close at least three plants—the first domestic closures in the company’s 87-year history. The company is struggling with weak consumer demand, the cost of manufacturing electric vehicles and competition from China. Europe is also facing a declining EV market.

The strike could escalate if the workers union and the carmaker can’t reach a deal.